Cooperatives

The Community Economics Program provides support and followup to 3 Cooperatives, two on the Oaxacan coast and one in the central valleys region.

Women’s cooperative “TREIG” (Ecological Roof Tiling)
Situated in the city of Etla, to the west of Oacaca, TREIG produces roof tiling in their own small production facility. More than simply a production cooperative, TREIG also offers training workshops to the local area offering courses on health, human rights, etc. They have been working as an organization for more than 10 years and working with the Roof Tile project for 4 years. They participate with RECGUESA - – Network of Community Economics Organizations “GUESA”.

“The Greenery” Organic Cooperative
Men from the community of Tataltepec de Valdés formed The Greenery Cooperative five years ago. Presently they cultivate black beans and chilli working only organic fertilizer. They market their product to the local community and also to outlets in Acapulco. They have sought out and employed advanced technical consulting for their process of cultivation and marketing. They are members of the RECGUESA – Network of Community Economics Organizations “GUESA”. The Greenery Cooperative’s work responds to basic family and community needs through the creation of jobs and increasing family income. Their product is organic, of quality and low cost.

Cooperative of the “Dignified Women Seamstresses”
Women of the community of Talatepec de Valdés formed this cooperative in 2000 with the objective of creating jobs with good working conditions, that would generate income for their households and offer a service of quality dressmaking to the community for a low cost. They sought out and completed training in the areas of tailoring as well as in administrative and organizational processes. They are members of RECGUESA - – Network of Community Economics Organizations “GUESA”. In addition, they are the Cultural Commissioners, a formal local government role for the municipality of Taltaltepec de Valdés, Oaxaca. Their 5 years of functioning has strengthened their commitment to each other and developed their personal and technical capacity in service to their families and to their community.

Methodology

We use the approach and the techniques of Popular Education. This method helps us to assist our communities to assume more active roles in their organizations, their communities and in their local governments. We employ the following popular education tools: word creation, dynamics/games, drawings, workshops, skits, collage, and group journaling.

Successes of cooperatives

- Production of quality ecological, organic and low cots products
- Sources of family income
- Job creation
- Local Products meet Local Demands, building the Local Economy

Challenges to Cooperatives

- Finding/creating viable local markets for their products.
- Maintain the good of the cooperative as the final goal, and resisting tendencies of some to attempt to “take over” the cooperative.
- Establishing viable and just prices